title: Excess Cardiovascular Risk Burden in Jamaican Women Does Not Influence Predicted 10-Year CVD Risk Profiles of Jamaica Adults: An Analysis of the 2007/08 Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey.
abstract: Black Caribbean women have a higher burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors than their male counterparts. Whether this results in a difference in incident cardiovascular events is unknown. The aim of this study was to estimate the 10 year World Health Organization/International Society for Hypertension (WHO/ISH) CVD risk score for Jamaica and explore the effect of sex as well as obesity, physical activity and socioeconomic status on these estimates.
  
  
  
  Data from 40-74 year old participants in the 2007/08 Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey were used. Trained interviewers administered questionnaires and measured anthropometrics, blood pressure, fasting glucose and cholesterol. Education and occupation were used to assess socioeconomic status. The Americas B tables were used to estimate the WHO/ISH 10 year CVD risk scores for the population. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated. Data from 1,432 (450 men, 982 women) participants were analysed, after excluding those with self-reported heart attack and stroke. The women had a higher prevalence of diabetes (19%W;12%M), hypertension (49%W;47%M), hypercholesterolemia (25%W;11%M), obesity (46%W;15%M) and physical inactivity (59%W;29%M). More men smoked (6%W;31%M). There was good agreement between the 10-year cardiovascular risk estimates whether or not cholesterol measurements were utilized for calculation (kappa -0.61). While 90% had a 10 year WHO/ISH CVD risk of less than 10%, approximately 2% of the population or 14,000 persons had a 10 year WHO/ISH CVD risk of ≥30%. As expected CVD risk increased with age but there was no sex difference in CVD risk distribution despite women having a greater risk factor burden. Women with low socioeconomic status had the most adverse CVD risk profile.
  
  
  
  Despite women having a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors there was no sex difference in 10-year WHO/ISH CVD risk in Jamaican adults.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Research Institute, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Marshall K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Tulloch-Reid
authors.forename: Novie O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Younger
authors.forename: Trevor S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Damian K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Abdullahi O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Abdulkadri
authors.forename: Georgiana M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gordon-Strachan
authors.forename: Shelly R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: Colette A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cunningham-Myrie
authors.forename: Rainford J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wilks
authors.forename: Simon G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors